You are resting with your pet cat on a terrace,
and she begins scratching. She scratches hard, is restless, and chews her skin.
This can mean a lot of things, but you should look hard if she has FLEAS! You
might feel distressed if she has them, but some pets can get them from
neighboring cats or other infected animals such as rodents or rabbits. You can
get more information about fleas when you click here.
If you have warm weather in your area, this
might mean fleas and ticks. The rise in the temperatures can make it more
hospitable for fleas’ eggs. They become active in temperatures such as 35◦C and
a humidity of about 70 percent.
Fleas are dangerous, and they are active. They
frequently feed on the blood of your pet and even from you. They jump from one
animal to another, setting up a colony when conditions are favorable. There can
burrow in the fur, and they stay hidden to ingest blood. This causes redness,
inflammation, itching, and other irritating conditions to your cat and you.
So, enough about the description of fleas. You
will surely feel them when they strike. The next thing to ask is, how do you
get rid of them? Not temporarily, but for good.
How to Remove Fleas
1. Clean the Environment
Fleas can leave eggs on beddings and the host.
The eggs can accumulate in clothes, carpets, beds, and car seats if these areas
are places where your cat is often seen. It would help if you cleaned
everything that came in contact with the infected cat.
The first thing that you need to do is to
quarantine the pet and isolate it. The second step is to collect all the rugs,
beddings, pillowcases, and anything in the house that you may think have eggs
on them. Water with detergent or soap is very useful in killing adults, pupa,
larvae, and eggs.
What needs to be done after washing the
beddings is to vacuum everything in the house. Vacuum the carpet, floors,
cracks, corners, and everywhere where specks of dust can collect. This step
collects the eggs on the carpet fibers. Immediately remove the bag outside of
the house to prevent the larva from escaping.
You can steam clean everything in the house to
remove larvae. You can hire cleaners to do this, but make sure to warn them
first about the infested cat. They can apply pest control and insecticide
treatment that is safe for small children and your pet.
2. Removing Fleas from the Host Animal
a. Bathing your Pet
Wash your cat with soapy water. There are
insecticide shampoos that decide to kill fleas, and they are safe for cats. Ask
your vet about the recommended shampoo that doesn’t have any toxic effects. You
should stay away from products that contain diethyltoluamide, as this can cause
some severe adverse reactions.
b. Comb the Hairs of
your Pet Frequently
Use a special flea comb to your pet. Dispose of
anything that you find on the comb in soapy water. Another alternative that you
can do is wrap your hand with scotch tape. Make sure that the sticky part is
out and pat your animal from head to tail. This can work if your cat is
short-haired. There are also fur removal rollers and lint that can have the
same effect.
c. Get Flea and Tick
Collars
Collars work by repelling. They emit a type of
gas that repels fleas. You can check this list of cat flea collars that will suit your pet’s needs.
The gases are poisonous vapors that kill the eggs and the adults. The fumes are
safe for pets, and they contain repelling shields. They are also natural and
organic since they use essential oils.
Choose collars that are appropriate to the age
and size of your pet. Read labels since some are strictly exclusive for large
felines. They can be extremely potent and be dangerous when worn by a petite
furry cat. When you choose the collar, watch out for the ingredients on the
label. The label should clearly show the active ingredients that are used to
kill the parasites. A laboratory should test these, and they were considered
safe and ideal for cats.
d. Use of Topical
Products
Topical products are liquids applied to a
specific body area of your furry friend, and they typically last for a month.
These solutions can start killing insects in just 12 hours after application.
These topical products usually require prescriptions from your vet, but if you
find the right one, you won’t have to reapply them every day.
A single dose of some of the topical products
can get rid of black-legged ticks or fleas and provides up to 12 weeks of
protection. They can break the life-cycle of insects, which are typically three
months. They are easy to apply, and you won’t likely miss a dose.
How topical products work is that the
medication enters the bloodstream and reaches the tissue fluids. When these are
fed by ticks and ingest the liquid, they will die. A word of caution is that
some of the products are not intended for human use. Don’t let your children
play with the packaging and keep them in a safe, cool, and dry place.
A Final Word
Fleas are problems that need quick action
before they become worse. But the good news is that even if they come in large
numbers, they are easy to kill. After some weeks of dosing, bathing, and
combing your cat, you will see that they will leave your pet alone. This will
be the same in your home. You can eradicate the infestation if you frequently
clean every nook and cranny inside your house, but this takes time and
patience.